Can aluminum be harder than glass?

Humanity is constantly evolving and people are always seeking for new ways to improve their lives. We are witnesses of modern technology and gadgets taking over people`s lives, enabling them to do things that were once unimaginable. We see lots of new inventions emerging every day and some of them are even too good to be real. Sometimes the simplest things are the best ones and there are some pretty exciting things coming up.

Science fiction shows such as Star Trek laid the foundations of lots of new inventions and motivated people to constantly search and improve their creativity. One thing that was seen in that show and that it became reality today is the transparent aluminum sheet. American scientists worked hard to produce this transparent aluminum and it promises to be one of those great inventions of this century. This transparent aluminum can be best described as a magnesium aluminate, which in essence is a type of mineral. The greatest advantage of it is that it is much harder, tougher and stronger than the glass. Other positive characteristics are that it is resistant to erosions from rain or sand and that it can serve as a great protection in harsh environments.

Due to the fact that the aluminum sheet is made of materials that are more durable, it will definitely deliver better results and better performance in comparison with the glass. If someone takes drone vehicles and mounts this type of material as a shield – you can be positive that this type of technology will dramatically improve the way we see the world.

The manufacturing process is also relatively easy. The main thing is to place the powder on a hot press. Then it is being pressed under vacuum and the powder is squashed together. If the powder is squashed correctly, you can easily get rid of the unwanted air that is entrapped inside. After that you will see it coming out as clear as it can be. When it gets out of the hot press, it should be grounded and well polished before the next process for further refinement. It can also serve as a strong bulletproof glass. At the moment, the cost of making it is high, so scientists are looking for ways to cut costs down. If the cost of making it gets reduced in the foreseeable future, then other applications will benefit a lot from it. We can see this type of technology used in watches, vests, smartphones and other electronic appliances.

As a conclusion, we can safely say that aluminum can really be harder than glass. Today anything is possible, and things that once seemed like a long distance future are now a reality. Aluminum is a well-known material, commonly used everywhere in the world. Luckily, the planet still has lots of aluminum for exploitation and for different uses. Thanks to the scientists who work hard on new inventions we can rest assured that lots of other exciting things are coming up.